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“Well, that was a mighty fine ride. Thank you so much.” She pointed to the island in the middle of the cove. “And is that Bonnet Island?”

“It is. We can go over there later, once you get settled.”

“I’d love that.”

They lugged all of her stuff out of the skiff and piled as much as they could into the wagon. The largest two suitcases were on wheels, so they pulled them along the dock, the thump of the wheels alerting the dog.

“Is that Brulee? What a deep voice she has!”

“You won’t believe how big she is!”

They reached the cottage, and Maggie told Katrina to brace herself as she let the dog out. Brulee remembered Katrina from the wedding, and the reunion was hysterical, with Brulee crying and yipping and trying so hard not to jump up on Katrina. After she petted her and she calmed down, then she slipped out of her heels.

“First things first,” Katrina said, changing her shoes.

Leashing up Brulee, they took a stroll to the rescue on Maggie’s property, a utilitarian structure that had once been a double-wide owned by Alfonso Casson. He’d donated it to the rescue that was run by his daughter, Kelly, now with Maggie as her partner and Annie as their only paid employee.

“Hey, Annie! Look who’s here!” Maggie called.

She ran out to see Katrina, who was shocked at how pregnant Annie had gotten.

“You’re about ready to pop!”

“Oh no, I’ve got a while to go. I’m just fat from our girlfriend’s baking spree.”

“I know nothing about pregnancy, but that looks like baby to me, not cake.”

Laughing, they hugged and promised to get caught up soon.

“I need to get settled. I’ll be by later.”

They returned to the cottage and hauled all her luggage up the steep staircase. Maggie didn’t want any misunderstandings, so she addressed it right away.

“You weren’t kidding when you said you were staying a while.”

“I might not go back, Maggie. I mean, I won’t stay with you forever, but something is drawing me here. Maybe it’s you and Annie. I can’t explain it. Since you moved here, and then Annie and then your aunt and then your mother, it’s like there’s nothing familiar in Pensacola. I don’t have any need to stay there.”

“You had a great loss when your mother died, Katrina. Don’t discount that.”

“I won’t. But it was two years ago. At least with her house sold and my sister happily married, I’m a little bit free.”

“Just a little bit?”

“Ha! Just a little bit. I’m going to change out of these clothes and into my island-hopping clothes. It’s warm enough for shorts.”

“It is! I might even get a little tan on my legs. We can take a picnic.”

Maggie took her for a quick tour of the house before they took a ride to Bonnet Island.

“That evil eye is fabulous,” Katrina said, pointing to Lonny Landry’s painting above Maggie’s fireplace. “It’s a primitive work of art. I want to paint one now.”

“We will. I have a five-gallon can of that paint left after painting my cottage.”

“I’d love it,” Katrina replied.

They made giant po’boys with layers of meat and cheeses and olive salad. She made an extra sandwich for Justin to eat when he came by that evening, wrapping it in wax paper and placing it in the fridge.

They placed the lunch in a canvas bag with sodas and chips and some of the cookies she’d bought from the bakery at Spencer’s. She sent Justin a text that they were headed to the island for lunch, leashed up Brulee again, brought her water bowl, and they were off.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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